


Paradise Burning

by justpassingbi



Category: Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018), Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: But I don't care, F/M, Human Trafficking, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Torture, Torture, i haven't actually seen all of star wars so some stuff might not be canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-10-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:28:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26756518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justpassingbi/pseuds/justpassingbi
Summary: AU of Solo, Star Wars. Instead of Qi'ra being left behind, Tenzen (OMC) is.
Relationships: OMC/OFC, qi'ra/original male character
Kudos: 1





	1. out

-out

‘Run’ he yelled, ‘get out, don’t look back.’ She banged on the door but, as she saw security coming to intervene, left him. ‘I’ll come back for you! I promise’, but he was gone. 

She’d gotten out of the Control Zone, but she hadn’t gotten out for good. She had to get out of Corellia, she had to make it count. She enlisted in the empire to learn how to fly and as an easy way out.

Getting in the empire was easy, as they were always receiving new recruits. The hard part came in managing to climb up the ranks to get into the fleet and, of course, staying alive that long. 

In the Empire she would have to be tested again and again, she would have to hide her morals in order to get to her goal. This last part, however, wasn’t so simple. 

It was in a meeting where things had gotten out of hand that she screwed up. Well, truth be told, she just spoke out of turn, but it was enough to get her demoted to the infantry.   
She wanted to fly, she would fly, without a ship, that is. 

In a very muddy place she met Tobias Beckett, he was her ticket out of the Empire; it had nothing for her anymore, and she was sure if she stayed there she’d be killed for speaking her mind.

The train plan was easy, if everyone did their part. Rio was in the flying position, Beckett and herself had to attach the container to the ship, and Val had to bring down the bridge.   
What no one was expecting - bar from Val, who warned Beckett about her - was Enfys Nest to make an appearance, and for her fleet to give them such a bother. 

Rio was down, so Qi’ra took the flying job while Beckett kept separating the container from the other ones. Val was surrounded and sacrificed herself for the sake of the mission.   
Everything had gone wrong, and Qi’ra had to let the container go in order for them to survive. 

“What do you think you’re doing?” Beckett yelled.  
“I just saved your ass, get up here before you freeze to death.”  
“Saved my ass? I’m better off dead than in this kind of debt with Crimson Dawn!” 

Crimson Dawn. She knew that name. Everyone in the Empire knew that name. Hell, everyone in the galaxy knew that name. 

Once he was in the ship, and some scolding had passed, they set course for where the First Light was docked, and Qi’ra took a much needed nap.

‘I’ll come back for you! I promise.’

Three years had passed since that promise. Three years since she last saw him. Her Tenzen. The young man who could make her laugh even in her darkest days. She hadn’t forgotten him, that was for sure. Everything she was doing and everything she had done was to get to him.

Any sane person would’ve moved on, he was most likely dead. No. Qi’ra couldn’t think that. She couldn’t bear the thought of the man she loves to be dead, and so far away from her. Couldn’t bear the idea of never seeing him again, although she wasn’t seeing him now either. He’s okay, alive, better, she kept telling herself.

The Coaxium job didn’t go as she had planned. It went terribly, actually. And Qi’ra and Beckett were left to deal with the consequences. They had lost half their team and all of the Coaxium. Plus, Qi’ra learned they weren’t stealing for themselves, and there was someone who they would have to answer to and pay said lost merchandise.

They got inside of a very fancy ship, filled with very important and very dangerous people. “Keep your head down, don’t talk to anybody,” Beckett instructed her. Qi’ra only nodded.

She was walking around the room, taking some food off a tray and a drink, when she saw him.  
He was standing in a corner, supervising the room. His usually tousled hair was combed back. He was wearing a suit that looked expensive, and his face lacked the usual playful smirk she so loved. But he was alive, and to her, it was all that mattered.

He hadn’t noticed her so she walked towards him and stood besides him.  
“Hi.”


	2. not

-not

‘Run’ he yelled, ‘get out, don’t look back.’ He saw her bang in the door and could barely hear something along the lines of ‘I’ll come back’ but before he could say anything, everything went black.

When he woke up he was met with a very bright, blinding light, straight to his face. He was in a poorly kept room, cuffed to a chair. Hours, maybe days, passed before anyone showed up.

A man in a fancy suit and two armed guards dressed in black walked through a door Tenzen hadn’t noticed.

“What’s going on? Who are you?” he asked.  
“Do you have any food, anything?” Nothing. “Come on man, why not kill me if you’re going to starve me?”

He was met with a smack to the face by one of the guards and he tasted blood. The iron taste filling his mouth and drowning his senses, so long since he had tasted anything.

“Not the face,” said the suited man, “appearances are a big thing to her.” The guard let out a ‘sorry sir’ and went back to the door.

Her? Who was her? Why not the face? – not that he complained.

“Tenzen,” the man started, “nice name. You chose it yourself?”  
Tenzen only nodded, unsure if speaking would earn him a second smack.  
“How would you feel if I gave you a job?”

A job? He had just stolen his last bosses. But the man just stared at him, waiting for a response.

“What kind of job?” he intrigued quietly.  
“Well, it wouldn’t be a job really, you’d be a servant, a slave. No pay, but you’d have food. More than you’re having here.”  
Tenzen scoffed, “No way, rather die.”  
“That can be arranged. But I see potential in you. You managed to sneak out from Lady Proxima’s goons. Well, you only got so far but it was impressive nonetheless.”

The room went quiet for a bit while Tenzen balanced his options. He could stay here, losing track of time, starving slowly (not a great option); or he could try his luck with this serious-looking and quite intimidating, if he had to admit, man.

“What do I have to do?” uttered Tenzen head down.  
“Well, we’ll have to change those looks for something more... classy. And that too-cool-for-commands attitude has to go, there’s no room for that where we’re going. But don’t worry, we have ways to do that.”  
“Do what?”  
“Break the spirit.” Said the man, motioning the guards to get Tenzen off the chair.

He was giving them a hard time but, once the guard’s elbow met his stomach and the marked man looked at him, he stopped.

The guard dragged him all the way from the Control Zone to a ship. Once inside, the man stopped on his tracks and said, “I’m Dryden Vos, one of the most powerful members of Crimson Dawn, perhaps you’ve heard of it?” he stopped, looking at Tenzen.

Of course he had heard of it. Who hadn’t? 

“Yes, I’ve heard of it," he said, but to his surprise he was met once again with the guard’s elbow in his stomach.   
Vos looked at him expecting something.

"Yes, I’ve heard of it, sir,” Tenzen struggled to get out.  
“Good, smart. Anyways, there is a fresher in that room over there, Gill here will take you.” He gestured to the guard who had been beating him up since arrival.

The room was small and in a corner there was a shower. Gill pushed him inside the room and closed the door. 

“The clothes. Lose them. Someone will get you some.” He commanded.  
Tenzen did as told but asked, “Can I get some… I don’t know, privacy?” But the man did not move.

Once he was done with the very needed shower, he slid on the clothes the guard gave him, not before looking at himself in the mirror first. He looked dead. Malnutrition, isolation, and a couple of smacks can do that. The clothes they gave him weren’t as classy as the man had said, a shirt, some trousers and boots, but they’d do.  
The guard took him to a common area and Tenzen did his best not to earn another hit.

"Where are we going?" asked Tenzen after a while of quiet.   
"Back to the First Light. Lady Trina’s ship." Vos said.  
"Who’s Lady Trina?"  
"My boss. And yours, if you’re cut for it, I suppose." 

And so silence fell again. The only noises anyone could hear were the ship’s mechanisms and the growls coming from Tenzen’s still empty stomach.


	3. prisma

-prisma

Once the ship stopped it’s landing maneuvers they started to get off it. Gill still had a firm grip in Tenzen’s arm. Useless if you’d ask him, there was nowhere to go now.   
The ship was huge, and strangely vertical. It didn’t look like a combat ship, not that he had seen many, more like a traveling vessel.

"You like it?" Vos asked.   
"It’s strange… sir," he quickly added, not used to formalities.  
Vos only hummed in response. 

They got inside of the First Light, as Vos had called it, and said man dismissed the guards. There’s probably more security anyways, thought Tenzen. He then showed him to an elevator, expecting him to get in it.   
The ride was long and quiet. All you have to do is stay alive, keep everyone happy, and then get out. You’re good at that. The lift reached its destination and by the time it took, Tenzen figured they’d be at the top of the ship. 

“Mr. Vos is back. And with an unregistered male.” A robotic voice informed the room.   
“If he did his job well, he’ll be registered in no time,” a female voice said. 

Tenzen only thought of staying alive, surviving. The rest didn’t matter. Boy he was wrong.

Vos walked into the room and waited for Tenzen to get in before speaking, “He’s brave. Or stupid. Maybe a bit of both. But he’s fast, mentally I mean. Physically he could do better, but I’m sure proper feeding will help.”

The woman stood up from where she was sitting and walked towards Tenzen, who looked frozen. 

“Spirit?” she asked the marked man without looking at him.  
“Strong, but nothing we can’t break.”  
“Good, get started on him. But don’t hurt his pretty face, it’ll get him places.” She said caressing his cheek.

Tenzen had to put all of his energy into not moving away but also not leaning in.  
What the hell have I gotten myself into now? Thought Tenzen, break him?

“Yes, ma’am.” Vos said. 

They took him to a white room. A painfully white room, with nothing in it but four walls, a bed and a toilet.

“Why are you doing this?” he asked as they pushed him inside.  
“It builds character.” The man chuckled. He was enjoying this. 

He was in the room for weeks. At least he thought so. The all-time-on lights didn’t help with time keeping. Nor did the never-ending, high-pitched ringing. Food was delivered once a day, or whatever timeline he could make of a day. That was an improvement from the room in Corellia.

‘I’ll come back for you,’ if only she could see him now, begging to get out, hitting the walls. ‘She’s okay’ he muttered to himself over and over. ‘She got out, she’s safe, she’s somewhere better.’ 

With little success he decided to train to not lose his mind. To try and keep a sense of control over himself, to not admit the fact that he was helpless and completely out of his element. 

Once Vos took him out of the room he was dragged to another room, this one similar to a bathroom, where there was an object that one could call a small tub, but Tenzen was smart enough to know it wasn’t for bathing. 

The ringing in his ear didn’t cease. And the lights were playing a hard part on his eyes, which he had to squint shut.  
Some guard had appeared and tied his hands behind his back, but later left him to the marked man’s will. 

“On the floor.” He commanded him.

Tenzen only stared at him, hesitant. Bad choice. 

Turns out Dryden Vos is not exactly known for his patience, nor hospitality.   
He kicked the back of his knee and grabbed his shoulder down.

“I said. On. The. Floor.” 

The man rolled his sleeves and sat in a chair on his side.   
“What’s going on?” asked Tenzen, but by the look in Vos’ face he was pretty sure he was shouting.  
“Today,” he started, “we’re going to learn what happens when you try to escape Crimson Dawn.” 

Tenzen was about to say something but Vos pushed his head in the water before he could utter a single word.  
And they kept going at it, Vos would ask ’what happens if you leave?’ and if Tenzen didn’t give the correct answer, he went down again. And God it burned him. He didn’t know the correct answer, nonetheless. 

After what felt like the hundredth attempt he spat out, “There is no leaving Crimson Dawn!”

And he stopped. “Hmm, very good. I must say, many people don’t figure it out so fast.”

Fast? Thought Tenzen, that was fast?

As the years passed the escape attempts decreased, but not the want to leave. That, he thought, would stay forever there. That voice in his head, sharing his brain with the still persistent, never-ending pitch, telling him he should’ve said no, he should’ve ran faster. It was pointless rambling anyways. There was no leaving Crimson Dawn. Those fucking words he couldn’t help himself from repeating. 

It was one of the busy days. Lots of dangerous people, so to speak, having drinks and a good time. Suddenly he felt someone approach him and say, “Hi.”


	4. first light

-first light

“Hi.”  
“Can I help- Qi’ra?” 

His eyes opened up in shock, but he held his posture still, as if moving wasn’t an option.

“Tenzen, I- how did you- how did you get out?” she managed to let out.  
“Erm, I didn’t. I work here. What are you doing here?”  
“I was doing this job, to get back to you, and-”  
“Who told you I was here?” he interrupted nervously.  
“Well not here here. I was helping Beckett do a job to get enough money to get a ship and come get you.”  
“Well, no need. I’m out- hold on, Beckett, as in Tobias Beckett?” She nodded, “Tell me that job wasn’t the Coaxium.” She nodded once again, with a bit of more worry.  
“Shit. I have to bring you in,” he told her, grabbing her arm and leading her to a more quiet location.

“What’s going on?” she asked him, letting her own arm off his grip.  
“Look, you need to get out of here before-”  
“What? No, there’s no way I’m leaving you again,” she cut him off.  
“Qi’ra, look, you have to forget about me. I’m not the same I was before, I-” he said, but was interrupted by some people passing by.   
“No- How can you even ask me that?. I- I love you.”  
“It’s not- look, I can’t go with you, I can’t be with you.”  
“I don’t care, Tenz. I’m not leaving you. Not again.”

She wasn’t changing her mind and he didn’t have time to argue on the matter, so after mumbling a few curses under his breath he said, “Okay. Just- follow me.”

He took her through a gate to an elevator and motioned her to get in. Qi’ra stared at him the entirety of the trip, but he didn’t say a word, just kept standing still, looking at the elevator doors.

He was completely different than back in Corellia. From the way he stood himself to the way he spoke. There was a feeling of safeness in his voice, but it was mixed with a bit of fear. Fear of what? Thought Qi’ra, but before she could say anything the doors opened.

“Ah, there he is. The wonder boy. And with a present,” announced a man whose face was covered in marks.   
Tenzen shook his head, “Not a present, Vos. A... prisoner, if you might.” 

He walked into the room and grabbed Qi’ra’s arm, bringing her with him.   
Qi’ra, who had a look on her face of regret and confusion. There was no running from here.

“Oh, well. Why is she a prisoner?”  
“She’s with me,” intervened Beckett, clearing his throat. “She was with me during the Coaxium job.”  
“Hmm, you failed to report you were adding an extra set of hands. Then again, that also didn’t help, did it? What’s your name darling?”   
“Qi’ra,” she said shyly.  
“Hmm, sounds familiar. Where have I heard that na-” he stopped his rattle when his eyes reached Tenzen’s. “Ah, yes. That Qi’ra, is she?”

Tenzen had horror in his look and gave a short nod, avoiding her skull-penetrating gaze.

“Well, isn’t it crazy how life works?” the man chuckled to himself.  
“May I go now, sir?” asked Tenzen, clearly unpleasant with the conversation.  
“Yes, yes. Oh, before you leave, Lady Trina requested your assistance with a matter.”  
“What’s the matter?”   
“I wouldn’t know,” said Vos, dismissing Tenzen.

-

“Dear of mine, I’ve missed you,” greeted Lady Trina when Tenzen walked through her chamber’s door.   
“Me too,” he forced out with a fake smile. 

Was it truly fake? There was some truth in it, he was somewhat happy. For the first time in a long time. But it wasn’t for her.

“Come here, sit with me,” she patted the cushion next to her on the couch. 

He closed the door and made his way to her, trying to hold down a shiver.

“I saw you, you know?” she started, hand in his thigh, “Through the cameras. With your friend.”   
Tenzen’s muscles tensed, but he managed to hold his voice long enough to speak, “Then you must’ve seen that nothing happened.”   
“Hmm, yes, that I did,” she turned to face him, “you’ll be good and remember that when you’re gone, will you?”  
“Of course I- Gone where?” he said shocked.  
“A contact of mine reached out, they have information we very much require, and you, my darling," she pointed at him, getting in his lap, "will go get it.” 

She started tracing kisses along his jawline and held his throat possessively. It was sufficiently loose to allow his breathing but tight enough to remind him not to back away.

“Why- why me?” he struggled to let out in between kisses.  
“Well, this is very important information, and you are a very important man. Plus, I believe I’ve trained you enough for you not to disappoint me," she stopped playing with his shirt, hand proprietorially in his chest, “or leave.”  
“There is no leaving Crimson Dawn.” He said clock wisely. 

A small, pleased, grin formed in the woman’s face. “Well, maybe you can take your friend with you, she will have to pay for all that Coaxium. It’s a good way to start.”  
“I don’t think it’s a good idea, she-”  
“I insist, dearest.” 

-

Beckett and Vos were going back and forth, but Qi’ra had stopped listening to them a while ago. Instead she decided to admire all the objects decorating the room.  
After a while of gazing at the foreign objects Tenzen entered the room, fixing his clothes. 

“Erm, Mr. Vos. Lady Trina wishes for me and-” he sighed, “and Qi’ra to retrieve some information. She did not specify what to do with Mr. Beckett here, however.”   
“Well, have fun you two. But not too much. You get me, don’t you boy?” he said with a playful grin, “Us grown ups here will definitely spend time wisely.”

Tenzen gave Vos a fake, this time completely fake, smile and motioned Qi’ra to follow him outside the common area.


	5. brand

-brand

“So, where are we going?” She asked, catching up with him.  
“Hmm? Oh, a bar.” The struggle and nervousness he was trying to conceal was clear as day to Qi’ra.  
“What, you taking me on a date?” she said playfully, elbowing his side, but was met with a painfully stone cold face.  
“No.”

They got to a hangar and Tenzen motioned one of the guards to take them to a ship, instructing Qi’ra to follow him as well. 

The ship wasn’t nearly as luxurious as the First Light, nor big, but it was nice. Had the essentials. A couple of crew rooms with beds and bathrooms, a room resembling a kitchen, a master room for the captain, among other things.   
Tenzen gave her a quick tour and then went to the pilot’s cabin. There were a couple droids to acompaign them and fly, but Tenzen settled himself in the driver’s seat. 

“You should try and get some sleep,” he told her, “it’s a relatively long trip, and it will most likely be stressful.”   
“Are you going to sleep?”   
“I- No, I don’t- I can’t sleep, well I mean- that’s not entirely true. If I wanted to I could, but it’s- It wouldn’t be pleasant.”  
“Well, I’ll keep you company while you fly.” 

He moved a bit to the side to let her slide into the co-pilot’s seat and turned on the ship.

“So, if it’s not for a date,” started Qi’ra, “why are you taking us to a bar?”  
“One of our contacts reached out, they have important information that requires safe passage. We’re going to meet with them and retrieve said information.” He said pushing a few buttons.  
“Hmm, okay, but why us?”  
“Well, you are on your first step into paying your debt with Crimson Dawn. Congratulations,” he noted sarcastically.   
“Okay, and you?” she pried.   
“It’s an… important job, and quite dangerous. We have to get into the place. We can’t exactly let you go in alone.” He continued while averting her gaze, “Plus, my loyalty is being tested.”   
“Tested? How long have you been with these guys?”  
“There are many factors, time is not the most important one.” 

A while went by and Tenzen looked comfortable with the silence that surrounded them, Qi’ra however, wasn’t; so, once again, she broke it.

“So what exactly do you do for them?”  
“Um, I’m the delivery boy… So to speak.” He turned to look at her, “When something has to go somewhere, I’m the guy to check it out.”  
She hummed, “Must be easy to leave then? Having a ship to yourself.”  
“There is no leaving Crimson Dawn,” he said in an installed manner that gave Qi’ra goosebumps.

Eventually one of the droids informed them they were arriving at the meeting point, and took over the flying.

“There are clothes in that room over there,” he pointed to the left corridor, “find something that says ‘classy but not overdone’.”

Answering with a nod she headed there, and once she settled for a nice dress went back to the common area.  
She saw him in a similar room to where she’d gotten her outfit. He was going through a set of suits, the blue one would look good, she thought, but he settled for a black one and a white shirt. ‘Classy, but not overdone’.

He was putting his shirt on when she walked in, “Holy shit, what- what happened?”  
“Kriff, don’t you knock?” he said annoyed.

She moved towards him and stopped his fumbling hands from closing the shirt.  
He was fitter than before and covered in scars, but one stood out. It was a burnt mark in his left pec, a circle within a circle, like a brand. 

“What happened?”, she asked again, looking at his eyes.   
“It’s- nothing. It’s old.” He tried to dismiss her quickly, with no luck.   
“But why?”   
“I- It was after one of the attempts…” He said hoping for her to drop the subject, but received a lift of an eyebrow and a concerned look. “One of the escape attempts.”   
“Escape attempts? Thought you said you worked there.”   
“Yes well, I- I didn’t always.”  
“So they hurt you?”  
“Of course they hurt me Qi’ra, I was-” he looked away from her, “They own me.”

A conveniently timed droid interrupted them saying they’d arrived at the destination. Well, one of the destinations, they still had to get to the bar, but Tenzen had a speeder for that. He grabbed some sunglasses and left to park the ship.


	6. Mr. Nassar

-Mr. Nassar

They arrived at the location fast. Tenzen seemed nothing like the boy she knew, with good reason, she thought. He was calm, composed and confident, given he was usually confident, but not for the current situation, not for getting inside of a very expensive and heavily guarded club to meet a ’contact’.

“You are nervous.” He said, breaking the silence, which he had started to learn did not make Qi’ra comfortable.  
“You’re not? If we get caught that’s it, we’re dead.”  
He chuckled, “Do you trust me?”  
“With my life.” 

She received a half smile, one that she couldn’t quite decipher. She used to be able to read him like a child’s book, and now here he stood, straighter than usual, less erratic, less emotional, as if he was a totally different person.

They got out of the speeder and walked to the entrance where a man in a black suit stopped them and asked for their invites firmly. Qi’ra was entering fight or flight mode when Tenzen squeezed her hand.

“Two entrances, please,” he said calmly, removing his sunglasses. Her mind was raging with questions.  
“Ah, Mr. Nassar, always a pleasure to have you,” welcomed the man in a much nicer voice, “A surprise I must say, usually you aren’t one to attend this type of event.”

Qi’ra was speechless. What did he mean by usually? And who was Mr. Nassar?

“Well, thought I’d change airs a bit, leave the ship for a while, get some new entertainment, you know?”  
“Indeed. I will need to scan you however.”  
Tenzen looked over at his companion, whose mouth hung open. “Wouldn’t expect anything less,” he said while lifting his right arm and unclasping his cuff-links, exposing his skin.

There was nothing in his arm Qi’ra could see, except for a tattoo with the same design as the brand in his chest. If this was the plan, they were as good as dead.  
The suited man grabbed a scanner from his pocket and passed it through Tenzen’s skin, as a little light showed up. A chip? Thought Qi’ra.

“All good, now you,” he pointed at her.

She was motionless. What was she going to do? She didn’t have whatever Tenz did. She could take the risk and end up dead, she could-

“Oh, no need. She’s with me.” said Tenzen interrupting her train of thought.  
“Very well then, enjoy your stay Mr. Nassar, lady.”

Tenzen lifted his left arm for Qi’ra to grab, and walked through the door.

Once inside and out of ear reach from the gatekeeper she let go of his arm and whispered, “What the hell just happened? How are we not dead?”

Tenzen chuckled and looked at her in a loving manner, but Qi’ra could recognize a bit of sorrow in his stare. 

“A lot has changed Qi’ra, I’m not the same boy you knew,” he stated as he started walking towards a table.

A man offered them drinks and to take their coats, Tenzen only agreed to the drinks, saying they weren’t staying long. Qi’ra didn’t know what to think.

“Are you rich now?” she asked.

Tenzen looked at her expecting a joke but Qi’ra raised her eyebrow, motioning him for an answer. 

“Hmm, not exactly.”  
“This is a very expensive place, and you got us through the front door with a jolt of your wrist. Care to explain?”  
“I’m not rich, but I’m... involved, say, with powerful people. It has its advantages.” Tenzen explained, but dropped the subject quickly.

Some time had passed and no one had come to them, whoever this ’contact’ was they were sure taking their time.  
A girl in a waitress uniform strutted over to Tenzen with a loving smile.

“Hi handsome, didn’t expect to see you back here so soon,” she said before kissing his cheek.  
“Well, I was in dire need of this-” he motioned at her body, “wonderful view.”  
“Always the sweet talker are you,” she flirted.  
“Well, I have been told it’s one of my main qualities.”

It was, Qi’ra thought. God, the times they had almost died back in Corellia before he let his sweet charms roll off his tongue and save their necks.

“Hmm, whoever told you that has never seen what truly amazing things that tongue of yours can do.”

Qi’ra almost choked on her drink, while Tenzen laughed at the forwardness.

“Will you be staying for the auction?” The girl continued.  
“No, you know this isn’t really my ideal environment, we’ll probably be on our way any time soon.”  
“Well, will I be seeing you again? Maybe when the Nebulas come together?”  
“Of course you will, honey. I promised, didn’t I?” she nodded. “And am I not a man of my word?”   
Qi’ra’s mind was racing with questions, whatever game Tenzen was playing, he was good at it.

“Yes, indeed you are.” She kissed his cheek and left, as if Qi’ra wasn’t even there.

“Care to explain that?” she finally said.  
“Not really. There’s not enough time for everything I have to say, and I fear when I’m over you won’t look at me like that,” he settled.  
“Like what?”  
“Like you love me. It’s been so long since I’ve been looked at like that, even– even by myself. I’m not ready for it to go away,” he said, downing his drink. “Call me selfish if you will.”  
“Wasn’t going to. Nothing will change the fact that I love you. You know that right?”  
He wanted to say many things, but he settled for an ’it will’and a vulnerable smile.

They waited a bit longer at the table until Tenzen got up and waited for Qi’ra to do the same. Qi’ra did as expected, surprise and confusion sprawled in her face. No one had come to them, no contact, nothing.

As they were approaching the exit, Qi’ra could see a little sign saying ‘Event sponsored by Lady Trina Nassar’. Nassar, she thought, that’s what the man at the door called Tenzen.

“Who’s Trina Nassar?” she asked him bluntly.  
“Um, Lady Nassar is - a very... powerful woman. Very rich.” He struggled a bit with his words and drove his hand to the back of his neck.  
She let out a hum and continued, “And why did the gatekeeper call you,” she pointed at him, “Mr. Nassar?”

He looked at her while thinking of a way to get out of this conversation. A conversation that could do no good.

He finally gave up on his possible excuses and said, “I’m her promised.”  
Qi’ra’s heart sunk, but Tenzen only kept walking.

After a while she managed to ask, “Promised? As in to-be-married promised?”  
“Is there another sense of the word I ignore?” She stood in her place speechless, it was becoming a usual occurrence these days.

“It’s been three years Qi’ra, was I supposed to wait all my life to find you again?”  
“N-no, I didn’t expect you to – just. I don’t know.”

They kept walking and got outside through a back door and into an alley.  
“I did,” she spoke shyly, “wait, I mean.”  
He stopped in his tracks and turned to her, “Well, I’m glad,” he said coldly but maintaining his composure, “I’m glad you had the choice to wait, really.”

It took her a moment to understand but before she could say anything she was facing his back again.

They got into the speeder and drove off, in silence. And then, when they arrived, into his ship.

She finally broke the silence again and asked, “Why did we leave? No one made contact.”  
He looked at her, and took a paper from his jacket, “Yes they did.”  
She was at a loss. When had that happened? She didn’t know.

“They’re coordinates,” he said. “22° 41’ 32" N, 31° 53’ 12" E, 3rd Block. Containers 4 and 5”  
“What’s there?”  
“No idea.”  
“So what, people just give you coordinates? And then what?”  
“Well, I go and get whatever they need delivered. Maybe it’s a package, or equipment, or whatever.”

In true he had no idea what to do. Usually there would be a note, or a picture, anything.


	7. stars

-stars

After informing Crimson Dawn’s firsts in command they headed to where the coordinates indicated. The air was foggy and the place didn’t exactly scream ‘good vibes,’ Qi’ra looked at Tenzen who seemed more calm than her, but still uneasy. He was looking all around himself, checking behind his back every couple of steps. 

“Have you been here before?” she asked, trying to lighten the mood.  
“Hmm? Not that I can remember, why?”  
“Just asking.” She waited a few more steps before starting again, “What happened?” Stupid question.   
And just as she expected his answer to go he said, “A lot.”  
“You seem… different.” He raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue, “Better.”  
He scoffed, “Yeah right, better.” And silence fell once again.

They arrived at a containers facility and a uniformed man stopped them.   
“Passes,” he inquired.  
“We don’t have any. We’re with Crimson Dawn, I’ve been told there’s cargo for us?”  
“Ah, yes, containers 4 and 5 in the 3rd Block.” He said opening the gate, not before scanning his wrist again.   
“That’s the one.”  
“You’ll need more people, though.” The man remarked, giving them instructions to which way to go.  
“Hmm, sorry?”  
“It’s big cargo.”  
“Oh, yes, we’re just here to watch over. People will come to take it.” Tenzen told him, grabbing a communicator from his pocket to inform Vos they were going in.  
The man simply let out an ’Ok’ and let them through.

The containers were big, and a bit rusty, but they were holding on. Qi’ra’s eyes scanned them a couple of times. 

“What do you think is in them?”  
“I don’t know, it doesn’t matter. Look, if this goes south, you need to run. Just… very far away.”  
“What are you talking about, Tenz. I told you, I’m not leaving you.”  
“You don’t wanna be in debt with Crimson Dawn, Qi’ra. I- I owe them my life, you don’t.”  
“You can come with me, we can run away.”  
“And what, be on the run from the entire galaxy? With rewards for our heads from the Empire and Crimson Dawn, are you crazy?”  
“I- I don’t know. Maybe.”

Qi’ra eyed the container while Tenzen awaited for orders. She walked around it once, twice; she didn’t know why but they called her attention. Suddenly she heard a thud. She looked to Tenzen but he was too busy.   
She made her way closer to the box and knocked on the wall. What she wasn’t expecting was to receive a knock back. Hesitant, she knocked again, and again she was answered, and again. 

“What are you doing?” Tenzen asked.  
“There’s something in here.”  
“Yeah, that’s how deliveries work.”  
“No, something alive.”

His face was a clear statement that he wasn’t following, so she knocked again. A slight flint of distress found his face, but as quickly as it came it left.

“You’re not going to say anything?”  
“There’s nothing to say. A delivery is a delivery.”  
“So you know what this is?”  
“Slaves. Probably a re-sale.” His tone was cold and nonchalant.  
“And you don’t care?”  
“Why would I?”

There was disappointment in her eyes, and disbelief as well. How could the man she grew up with be so cold towards cruelty, so indifferent.

“This could’ve been us. This was us.”  
“And now it’s not, now we’re on the other side.”

She tried random numbers on the pad lock, not really trying any combination. That wasn’t going to work, she knew it. Suddenly he realised what she was attempting and stepped in. 

“What are you doing?”   
“Getting them out.”  
“Getting them- Have you lost your mind?”  
“No. Are you going to help?”

He made no attempt to do so which hurt Qi’ra but didn’t stop her from freeing them herself. She didn’t have the code to the lock, nor a gun to break it, so she grabbed a rod she saw on the floor and started trying – it being the keyword – to open the container. 

“Stop it, Qi’ra.”  
“No. If you’re not going to help, I’ll get them out myself.”  
“I’ll help!”

The words took her by surprise and her mouth hung open a bit longer than usual, eyes growing wider.

“You’ll help?”  
“Yes, now move over.”

He took a gun out of his pocket and pointed it at the electronic lock. He wasn’t used to using guns, but anyone can hit at the short distance he did.  
They both waited for everyone to get out and gave them instructions on where to go, but Qi’ra had a more present question.

“Why did you help?”  
“You need to get out before anyone finds out you were here, I’ll make something up.”

He looked up to the sky only to realize they were too slow, it was too late. Tens of Crimson Dawn’s ships were on top of them.  
He quickly grabbed her hand and guided her to a corridor as men started to get off the ships and run towards them. They were in it for real now. Well, technically, he was; she hadn’t done anything, he made sure of that.

“Look at me, Qi’ra. Qi’ra. I need you to get out.” He said, cupping her cheeks.  
“What no, they’ll kill you.”  
“They won’t,” he said, knowing they’d do worse than kill him.  
“What- They will. Come with me. Away. We can see the stars. Just like we planned,” she held onto his neck, “all those years ago.”  
He laughed dryly, “You go, see them for me.”

She couldn’t believe him. Go see them for me? 

“What, no. I- I need you.” She choked out.  
“No you don’t,” he said, caressing her cheek, “look at everything you’ve accomplished without me. You- you became a pilot for- for the Empire, you managed to steal... from Crimson Dawn, no less. You helped a rebellion-”  
“I did it all for you. To get to you.”  
“I know.” He ran a hand through her hair, tucking some behind her ear. 

As much as it pained him and couldn’t believe the words leaving his mouth, he knew it was for the best. 

“Now do this to get away from me–”  
“No-”  
“Yes. You don’t need me, Qi’ra. You don’t need anyone.”  
“But I want you.” She was holding back tears now.  
“Quite right too. But I can’t go with you, I can’t leave. I– I made a choice. Many years ago, and whether that was the right choice I don’t know, I–” he scoffed, “I don’t think it was. But I’m expected to live up to that choice.”   
“So- So what? You’re going to take the fall, and- let them do whatever?”

His shoulders sagged and his stare turned away from her, only to come up shortly exposing them. The defeat in his eyes and sadness at the admission made itself present. 

“Why?”  
“Because-” he let a breathy laugh out, “You still have dreams, and- and places to go. You still have that will to fight. Qi’ra, the only reason I’m still here is because I’m of more use alive than dead.” 

The men following them were getting closer, so he took her through a disguised door.

“I- I need you to go, I need to be able to tell myself you’re somewhere better, safe. And I can’t do that if you’re here, and I can’t do that if you’re dead. Please.”

She kissed him, hard, and held onto him as if it was the end of the world. Knowing this was probably going to be the last time she saw him, but he pulled away sooner than expected.

“Leave. Go see the stars, or something. Do something nice.”  
And before she could catch her breath, he was gone.

She saw him leave the hidden room and heard him yelling at the men sent to get them and stayed there, hidden, until she couldn’t hear anything.


End file.
